U.S. Naturalization Data
Nearly 1 million N-400 applications for U.S. citizenship are pending as of June 2025. Naturalization is the final step in the journey from immigrant to citizen — and the backlog means hundreds of thousands are waiting months or years for that step.
The Path to Citizenship
Naturalization requires permanent residency (green card) for at least 5 years (3 if married to a U.S. citizen), continuous physical presence, good moral character, and passing English and civics tests.
The Application Process
The Backlog Problem
With 998,700 pending applications, naturalization has the largest single-form backlog in the USCIS system. This means eligible permanent residents — many of whom have lived in the U.S. for decades — are waiting 6-18 months to become citizens. In some offices, waits exceed 2 years.
The consequences are real: pending applicants can't vote, can't run for office, face restrictions on government employment, and can still be placed in removal proceedings if they commit certain offenses.
Why It Matters for Courts
Naturalization and immigration courts are connected: citizens can't be deported. Every person who naturalizes is permanently removed from the deportation pipeline. The naturalization backlog means hundreds of thousands of people who could be citizens remain in a more precarious legal status — green card holders who can still lose their status for certain criminal convictions.
The Civics Test
Applicants must answer 6 out of 10 civics questions correctly (from a pool of 100). Questions cover American history, government structure, and civic principles. The pass rate exceeds 90% — the English language requirement is a bigger barrier for many applicants.